It was a gusty play on a rainy evening but the Golden Eaglets eventually kept intact their winning streak on the domestic front when they beat the reserve team of Glo Premier League side, Akwa United 1-0 at the Uyo Township Stadium on Wednesday.
The Golden Eaglets started the game on a bright note immediately referee Mfon Akpan signalled the kick off and they kept the momentum despite the poor condition of the pitch.
In fact, Chidiebere Nwakali would have given the Eaglets their first goal of the match as early as the 5th minute of the match when his pile driver from outside the box was touched away by goalkeeper Ukeme Oscar in goal for the home team. Some two minutes later, Jacob Njoku was almost lucky from the same spot as Nwakali’s when his shot went straight into the net amidst sea of legs only for the referee to rule offside to the dismay of everyone. Yet Njoku was back some few minutes later when he sent a through ball for Isaac Success to fire home the first goal of the match in the 20th minute.
From then on, it was a ding-dong affair with little separating the two sides. But almost towards the end of the first half, Success and Taiwo Awoniyi made an inspired one-touch combination but the latter’s final shot was held firmly by goalkeeper Oscar to keep the score-line at 1-0.
As expected, the second half started fast and furious after the home team made some changes to their starting line-up. The Golden Eaglets’ crew later brought in Clement Ogbobe and Nansel Selbol for Olumide Akofe and Njoku respectively. Injured Goalkeeper Sunday Alanpasu also gave way for former National Under-15 goal tender, Abdulazeez Abubakar. But the two sides were unable to score any further goal.
Meanwhile, in the stadium to watch the game were Chief Effiong Johnson, Chairman of Akwa Ibom FA and a board member of the NFF, veteran coach Charles Bassey, Mr. Shina Phillips of the NFF/Pitch Awards as well as a host of local officials and fans who went home satisfied.
“It was a good game and I’m impressed with the performance of the Golden Eaglets in spite of the poor condition of the pitch, “said Johnson afterwards. “ The Golden Eaglets are still work in progress “Surely, we cannot justify comparison of the new boys with the set that went to the African Championship in Morocco but I could see hunger and willingness to succeed despite all odds as such, we should expect them to do well at the world Cup,” he maintained.
